I'm not sure where this post belongs, but i figured this is where it might go best. When buying/selling/trading rackets with other board members, what's the best way to insure a good transaction? I mean, the seller can just accept the money, and...disappear. Can't he? $50-$100-$200-$X can be a lot of money to get screwed over for. I was just wondering if and what methods board members have used in order to prevent scams.

As I see it you have two options. You could request a C.O.D. transaction. The seller agrees to send the merchandise and U.P.S. delivers it and picks up a postal money order (checks and cash are not accepted). U.P.S. does this kind of transaction for an exta charge.

You could also do a PRIVATE **** auction (go to ****'s website). This is where only you and the seller are privy to the sales process. This gives you extra piece of mind if the seller has an **** history (what **** calls feedback). If that seller has a postive (and hopefully plentiful) history then you can bid and buy with confidence. Actually if you go through Paypal some sellers will actually ship to you upon confirmation of your payment (and maybe another day or two for the payment to clear). Good luck!

You can always check the sellers reference on the TW references forum. I have had awesome experiences with everyone. If Harry Milner would quit having what I needed everytime I would get a large variety of people, lol...

Check the references before you buy. If there are no references, you take a risk, but even then, people usually seem to be pretty good about it. (usually)

While it is still possible to get ripped off, there are ways to minimize the risks:
Check the reference boards, old & new, that will give you a good idea of what to expect. If not on the reference boards, go to **** and try checking feedback. There are also indicators like, how responsive are they to emails, wiiling to send pictures, things like that. I believe most people on these boards are fairly honest, good chance if someone is doing a ripoff it will be noted here.

There is such a thing on here as references. I would ask for some...
It is a risk, but I would say that probably 99% of the people on these boards are reliable and very trustworthy. I think it is like talking about cheaters in tennis. I have probably ran into 2 in the entire 20 years that I have been playing tennis. Do your homework and you shouldn't have any trouble.

References are important, but everybody has to start somewhere. Pay close attention to the vibe you get out of the communications. Use a shipping method that includes tracking, so you can confirm the item (or at least something) was shipped on what date. When the price is too good to be true, you must be extra careful. There are bargains out there, but very few "steals." Check if the person has posted on the board and if their posts make sense. Check if the person offering a reference has any references and check if that person has posted on the board -- sometimes the scammers post positive feedback on themselves using an alias. I am leery of post office boxes. I ask for a telephone number and call the person if I am at all shaky. There are more tips, but let someone else have the floor.

It's also a good idea for those of us who deal regularly here to keep in mind the extra hand-holding that a newbie buyer will require and deserve, but may not know to ask for. Over the years, I've found that you simply cannot give too much information to a dealing colleague. This can be in the form of acknowledging emails, letting folks know when and how you've shipped, etc. (long story short: treat others as ...). Oftentimes, even good transactors take it for granted that because they've done everything on their end, the arrival of the goods is the whole story, while it's not. Bottom line: your emails are the way you represent yourself in these deals, so make them informative and make them often - they really do help on the trust issue.

That said, if you can, transact with "regulars" when possible, look for positive feedback here from a variety of cohorts, use Paypal for a bit extra security. Unless you're a trusting soul, it's often difficult sending out that money order without knowing the person on the other end.

The number of "numerous posts" one writes on this board is not a very good reference point in some cases. There have been many many people whom have supported this Messgae board over the last few years who do not post on a regular basis but who I trust in any kind of a deal. I have dealt with one Regular poster in the past on the board who I was very dissapointed with, on a complated deal.
I do agree with you in the sense if there is someone knew to me that I do not recognize, I do check to see how many posts they have submitted and when they joined the board. that is what saved me from dealing with "Luigi" a few months back.

One good indicator I have found is asking if they are Paypal verified. Luigi one of the guys they had a problem with recently was not as far as I can remember, I had e-mailed him. Being Paypal verified at least gives you some confidence they are who they say they are.